A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17 eBook

The same superiority that is observable in the persons
of the Erees, through all the other islands,
is found also here. Those whom we saw were, without
exception, perfectly well formed; whereas the lower
sort, besides their general inferiority, are subject
to all the variety of make and figure that is seen
in the populace of other countries. Instances
of deformity are more frequent here than in any of
the other islands. Whilst we were cruising off
Owhyhee, two dwarfs came on board, one an old man,
four feet two inches high, but exactly proportioned,
and the other a woman, nearly of the same height.
We afterward saw three natives who were hump-backed,
and a young man born without hands or feet. Squinting
is also very common amongst them; and a man who, they
said, had been born blind, was brought to us to be
cured. Besides these particular imperfections,
they are, in general, very subject to boils and ulcers,
which we attributed to the great quantity of salt
they eat with their flesh and fish. The Erees
are very free from these complaints, but many of them
suffer still more dreadful effects from the immoderate
use of the ava. Those who were the most
affected by it, had their bodies covered with a white
scurf, their eyes red and inflamed, their limbs emaciated,
the whole frame trembling and paralytic, accompanied
with a disability to raise the head. Though this
drug does not appear universally to shorten life, as
was evident from the cases of Terreeoboo, Kaoo, and
some other chiefs, who were very old men, yet it invariably
brings on an early and decrepid old age. It is
fortunate that the use of it is made one of the peculiar
privileges of the chiefs. The young son of Terreeoboo,
who was about twelve years old, used to boast of his
being admitted to drink ava, and shewed us,
with great triumph, a small spot in his side that
was growing scaly.

There is something very singular in the history of
this pernicious drug. When Captain Cook first
visited the Society Islands, it was very little known
among them. On his second voyage, he found the
use of it very prevalent at Ulietea, but it had still
gained very little ground at Otaheite. When we
were last there, the dreadful havoc it had made was
beyond belief, insomuch, that the captain scarce knew
many of his old acquaintances. At the Friendly
Islands, it is also constantly drunk by the chiefs,
but so much diluted with water, that it does not appear
to produce any bad effects. At Atooi, also, it
is used with great moderation, and the chiefs are,
in consequence, a much finer set of men there than
in any of the neighbouring islands. We remarked,
that, by discontinuing the use of this root, the noxious
effects of it soon wore off. Our good friends,
Kaireekeea and old Kaoo, were persuaded by us to refrain
from it, and they recovered amazingly during the short
time we afterward remained in the island.